Thursday, April 18, 2013

Spring is in full bloom in Vienna, and the city is beautiful. Today was new-city day, but before heading out, a walk in the nearby city park (the Stadtpark) provided a great way to enjoy the season.

Click on an image to see a larger version.

The river separating the two halves of the park appeared shallow but lovely.

A tiny waterfall provided the sound of running water, which I always love.

Why a fountain with spitting penguins? I have no clue, but I liked it.

Later, at the train station, I was tickled to spot the "Wiesel" trains, complete with namesake images on them.

The countryside during the ride in Austria was uniformly lovely.

Sorry about the reflection.

As to where I was heading then, and where I am now, well, here are two clues.

It's a natural place to follow the art, and I've never been here before.

Not enough?

Okay, try this image of a traditional restaurant, which the concierge at the fabulous hotel recommended.

Got it? If not, does this help? The Caesar salad, which two of us were splitting, came with bacon and chicken--without the menu mentioning either one.

Still not enough? Does this outdoor shot help?

For those who've guessed, yes, I'm in Prague.

Now, back to that restaurant. The menu featured a mixed grill for two with potatoes and vegetables. The price was very low, so I figured it couldn't be too large. I haven't eaten much meat in quite some time, so we went for it.

That, of course, was before I had seen the huge Caesar salad.

This is what arrived at the table.

Yes, it was a special wooden plate with a giant mound of meat hanging from a curved metal pole. What could be better?

I'm glad I asked.

The server, a surly twenty-something woman who clearly didn't want to be there, pulled out a metal sauce boat and a lighter. She lit the liquid in the bowl on fire, and then poured it on the meat!

Oh, yeah, that's what's better than a special wooden plate with a giant mound of meat hanging from a curved metal pole: a special wooden plate with a giant mound of flaming meat hanging from a curved metal pole!

Even better, the drippings fell onto the potatoes.

Kyle, I wish you could have been there.

No, we didn't finish it. I did, though, greatly enjoy it even though I kept my portion size under control.

On the walk back to the hotel, I stopped in a grocery store for some Coke Zero and still water. The store was full of young people almost dancing in the aisles to some electronic music, and it had Vittel, my favorite water.